Stratos
Banned deucer.
this is also a product of the QC team revamping irrelevant trash project
[OVERVIEW]
Vivillon uses Compound Eyes Sleep Powder, its decent Speed, and Tailwind to open up teams that aren't adequately prepared for sleep. Typically, it's used as a lead with a Fake Out user such as Kangaskhan or Infernape and is actually fairly effective at battering opposing teams if they can't deal with Fake Out + sleep leads. Unfortunately, Vivillon needs five moveslots to really be an effective support Pokemon and even then it would be outclassed, and it has less utility in the later game than other sleep inducers because of its lack of offense and reliance on Focus Sash.
[SET]
name: Sleep Support
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Tailwind
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: Protect / Rage Powder
item: Focus Sash
ability: Compound Eyes
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sleep Powder is the move Vivillon should be spamming. Use it against anything that isn't immune or about to faint to create free turns for teammates. After Tailwind, Vivillon outspeeds the entire metagame; typically, you'll use this when you can so that opposing Pokemon can't outspeed and KO Vivillon before getting put to sleep. Hurricane is Vivillon's best attack, making sure it isn't complete Taunt bait, and it hits sleep-immune Grass-types super effectively and can potentially get lucky and confuse foes. Protect is important to avoid getting ruined by Fake Out and other priority or common anti-lead tactics, but if you plan to use Vivillon less in the lead slot and more later in the game, Rage Powder may be better to serve as suicide support and protect Vivillon's partner after Vivillon has been brought down to Focus Sash.
Set Details
========
Speed and Special Attack investment is best because it's not like Vivillon is surviving any hits anyway. Focus Sash is necessary for Vivillon to avoid being easily revenge killed by Pokemon such as Talonflame or even turn 1 KOs from offensive leads. Compound Eyes boosts Sleep Powder's and Hurricane's accuracy to consistent levels, so it's better than Friend Guard.
Usage Tips
========
If the opposing team looks weak to sleep, simply lead with Vivillon and your Fake Out user. If it'll work, Fake Out something and use either Tailwind or Sleep Powder and just keep pounding away until Vivillon falls. If the team doesn't look as weak to sleep, it may be better to use Vivillon as bait to lure out their sleep checks and keep it in the back or double switch with it until they are gone, as it's pretty worthless in the face of sleep checks, especially if you're running Protect.
Team Options
========
Fake Out is typically used to ensure Vivillon survives turn 1 with its Focus Sash and can go to town on the opposing team. Kangaskhan is the most popular option, as it can boost against sleeping foes, but Infernape and Weavile are also viable choices with their better matchups against many common sleep checks—Weavile can even Knock Off Safety Goggles users before Vivillon sleeps them. Redirection, particularly from Jirachi, which resists Brave Bird, helps Vivillon beat priority users by sleeping them and also pairs well with Kangaskhan. Vivillon works best on more offensively oriented teams, which can make use of the few free turns bought by a sleep lead; obviously, some teammates should be able to handle common sleep-immune and Safety Goggles Pokemon, especially Jirachi and Togekiss, which make Vivillon entirely worthless.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Really, there are none. This Pokemon is horribly outclassed at doing everything else.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mega Diancie**: Mega Diancie outruns Vivillon and easily OHKOes with Diamond Storm while also being able to Magic Bounce away Sleep Powder.
**Safety Goggles**: Common Safety Goggles Pokemon (Volcanion, Heatran, Rotom-H, Jirachi, Aegislash, Togekiss) can ignore all of Vivillon's options and easily knock it out.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Grass-type Pokemon are immune to Sleep Powder and can generally take a Hurricane from Vivillon's low Special Attack. Ferrothorn makes short work of it, provided it's running Gyro Ball or Thunder Wave, and while other Grass-types don't want to take a Hurricane, most are not OHKOed and can put Vivillon to sleep.
**Fake Out**: Fake Out leads that outspeed Vivillon's own Fake Out support, or Inner Focus Kangaskhan, force Vivillon to Protect turn 1 and prevent it from getting a free Tailwind, which makes it much less threatening.
**Priority Attacks**: If you can bring Vivillon to its Focus Sash on the first turn—and every team should be able to—any priority except for Sucker Punch will keep it at bay. Priority Taunt also stops it cold, even if you can't bring it to its Focus Sash.
[OVERVIEW]
Vivillon uses Compound Eyes Sleep Powder, its decent Speed, and Tailwind to open up teams that aren't adequately prepared for sleep. Typically, it's used as a lead with a Fake Out user such as Kangaskhan or Infernape and is actually fairly effective at battering opposing teams if they can't deal with Fake Out + sleep leads. Unfortunately, Vivillon needs five moveslots to really be an effective support Pokemon and even then it would be outclassed, and it has less utility in the later game than other sleep inducers because of its lack of offense and reliance on Focus Sash.
[SET]
name: Sleep Support
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Tailwind
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: Protect / Rage Powder
item: Focus Sash
ability: Compound Eyes
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sleep Powder is the move Vivillon should be spamming. Use it against anything that isn't immune or about to faint to create free turns for teammates. After Tailwind, Vivillon outspeeds the entire metagame; typically, you'll use this when you can so that opposing Pokemon can't outspeed and KO Vivillon before getting put to sleep. Hurricane is Vivillon's best attack, making sure it isn't complete Taunt bait, and it hits sleep-immune Grass-types super effectively and can potentially get lucky and confuse foes. Protect is important to avoid getting ruined by Fake Out and other priority or common anti-lead tactics, but if you plan to use Vivillon less in the lead slot and more later in the game, Rage Powder may be better to serve as suicide support and protect Vivillon's partner after Vivillon has been brought down to Focus Sash.
Set Details
========
Speed and Special Attack investment is best because it's not like Vivillon is surviving any hits anyway. Focus Sash is necessary for Vivillon to avoid being easily revenge killed by Pokemon such as Talonflame or even turn 1 KOs from offensive leads. Compound Eyes boosts Sleep Powder's and Hurricane's accuracy to consistent levels, so it's better than Friend Guard.
Usage Tips
========
If the opposing team looks weak to sleep, simply lead with Vivillon and your Fake Out user. If it'll work, Fake Out something and use either Tailwind or Sleep Powder and just keep pounding away until Vivillon falls. If the team doesn't look as weak to sleep, it may be better to use Vivillon as bait to lure out their sleep checks and keep it in the back or double switch with it until they are gone, as it's pretty worthless in the face of sleep checks, especially if you're running Protect.
Team Options
========
Fake Out is typically used to ensure Vivillon survives turn 1 with its Focus Sash and can go to town on the opposing team. Kangaskhan is the most popular option, as it can boost against sleeping foes, but Infernape and Weavile are also viable choices with their better matchups against many common sleep checks—Weavile can even Knock Off Safety Goggles users before Vivillon sleeps them. Redirection, particularly from Jirachi, which resists Brave Bird, helps Vivillon beat priority users by sleeping them and also pairs well with Kangaskhan. Vivillon works best on more offensively oriented teams, which can make use of the few free turns bought by a sleep lead; obviously, some teammates should be able to handle common sleep-immune and Safety Goggles Pokemon, especially Jirachi and Togekiss, which make Vivillon entirely worthless.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Really, there are none. This Pokemon is horribly outclassed at doing everything else.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mega Diancie**: Mega Diancie outruns Vivillon and easily OHKOes with Diamond Storm while also being able to Magic Bounce away Sleep Powder.
**Safety Goggles**: Common Safety Goggles Pokemon (Volcanion, Heatran, Rotom-H, Jirachi, Aegislash, Togekiss) can ignore all of Vivillon's options and easily knock it out.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Grass-type Pokemon are immune to Sleep Powder and can generally take a Hurricane from Vivillon's low Special Attack. Ferrothorn makes short work of it, provided it's running Gyro Ball or Thunder Wave, and while other Grass-types don't want to take a Hurricane, most are not OHKOed and can put Vivillon to sleep.
**Fake Out**: Fake Out leads that outspeed Vivillon's own Fake Out support, or Inner Focus Kangaskhan, force Vivillon to Protect turn 1 and prevent it from getting a free Tailwind, which makes it much less threatening.
**Priority Attacks**: If you can bring Vivillon to its Focus Sash on the first turn—and every team should be able to—any priority except for Sucker Punch will keep it at bay. Priority Taunt also stops it cold, even if you can't bring it to its Focus Sash.
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